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A population-based study of preschoolers' food neophobia and its associations with food preferences

Catherine Georgina Russell1, Anthony Worsley

  • 1Deakin University, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Burwood, Victoria, Australia. georgie.russell@unilever.com

Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior
|January 5, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Food neophobia in preschoolers strongly impacts their food preferences, particularly for vegetables, but is not linked to age or sex. Strategies to reduce food neophobia are crucial for improving children

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Nutrition
  • Child Psychology
  • Food Science

Background:

  • Food neophobia, a reluctance to try new foods, is common in preschoolers.
  • Understanding factors influencing children's food preferences is vital for public health.
  • Previous research has explored food neophobia in various contexts.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between food neophobia and food preferences in preschoolers.
  • To examine associations between food neophobia and children's characteristics.
  • To provide insights for interventions aimed at improving children's eating habits.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional study utilizing a parent-report questionnaire.
  • Involved 371 Australian preschoolers aged two to five years.
  • Statistical analyses included ANOVA, ANCOVA, Pearson correlations, and Fisher z test.

Main Results:

  • Food neophobia was significantly associated with reduced preferences for all food groups, especially vegetables (r = -0.60).
  • Neophobia correlated with liking fewer food types (r = -0.55), disliking more (r = 0.42), and a less varied diet (r = -0.59).
  • No significant associations were found between food neophobia and child's age, sex, or breastfeeding history.

Conclusions:

  • Preschoolers' everyday food preferences are strongly linked to food neophobia.
  • Findings extend experimental and intake study results to real-world food preferences.
  • Interventions targeting children's food preferences should consider food neophobia and reduction strategies.
Abstract

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